The Commanders Daughter
by Mia02
Summary: A peek into the life of the five year old daughter of Kel and Dom as she spends the day in the camp of the Third Company of the Kings Own.


**This is my first pic in years so please be gentle. I haven't seen as many POTS fics on here that are new so I'm wondering if people just aren't writing as many. Still my favorite book series even after all these years, so Imma' keep writin' 'em. Hoping to break the writers block on my own life.**

 **Okay so it's been awhile since I wrote anything so please ignore the clumsy writing here until I get back into it.**

 **Obviously I don't own any of this. Please enjoy.**

 **The Commanders Daughter**

 **By: Mia02**

The little girl, although tall for her age, looked even smaller compared to the burley soldier who's finger she held onto tightly. Her dark black hair still held its baby curls and her intelligent hazel eyes examined the camp around her. They were camped on a plot of land just north of Queenscove.

A company of the Kings Own and two companies of the Royal Army were all headed North to Corus after spending the better part of two years on the border of Tyra and Tortall. They had spent a busy summer chasing away pirates and raiding parties who thought that a Tortall who's army had fought Scanrans for the past seven years was easy pickings. The men all had full intentions of spending the winter holed up in Corus putting their skills of flattery to the test.

The girl loved when these men came to visit. When these men came to visit it meant that either her mother or father or both were visiting as well. Not that she didn't love her Aunt Yuki and older cousin and was perfectly happy with living at Queenscove while her parents were away. Even so young she seemed to understand that her mother was different, but that didn't mean that she loved her any less. Who else's mother would make an _entire three companies_ of men walk hours out of their way so she could spend a little time with her child?

As much as she loved her mother and father she loved being with these men too. They seemed to follow her mother around and she could usually find one of them when she needed something. She took comfort in the way they smelled and the way they talked, which reminded her of her father when he wasn't around. Even though he was away often, she would take him over her Uncle Neal any day. She would never understand how excitable he got over the littlest things, like the time she took her Aunt Yuki's glaive from the wall, just too see if she could lift it yet. Her mother had told her it was because he loves her and worries about her, she still wasn't convinced that he hadn't always been that way and worried her cousin might develop the same symptoms.

A scruffy old dog had just settled by one of the camp fires and caught the girls eye. She stood in line behind thirty odd soldiers of The Kings Own waiting patiently for their turn to be fed their midday meal.

She tugged on the finger she was holding looking up at him. She did her best to keep her face calm, like her mother and Aunt Yuki, her voice even. When the man looked down at her and grinned, she pointed over to the dog. "Jumps hungry."

Wolset continued grinning down at her. "Well, we will make sure we get him somethin' nice ta' eat." He looked over at the old dog and smiled to the little girl again. "God's know he deserves it." She gave him a toothy grin and began to swing her arm back and forth, his finger still clutched in her fist, humming quietly to herself. For the moment any worries the four year old had were gone.

As they got to the great pot of camp stew cooking over the fire the man behind the pot stood straight at attention and brought his hand up in salute, the ladle still in it dripping stew on the ground. The girl giggled and held out her bowl, which was soon filled with stew and a small hunk of bread. The man then handed her a small brown sack. "And that is for Old Jump over there."

She giggled again. "Thanks, Mr. Qasim." He saluted, filling up Wolsets bowel all the way then moving on to the next.

She held the bowl tightly in her hands concentrating on not spilling a drop. She and Wolset made their way to the fire to eat. As soon as she reached the logs ringing the pit, the men already sitting stood up, the closest one calling out. "Commander present!" The all stood perfectly still until the young girl sat down in the dirt resting her back against the old white dog.

The little girl set the bowl in her lap and began to eat her stew. The men hid smiles at how comically large the bowl and spoon looked in her tiny hands. She look the bread and did her best to crumple it into small pieces and throw them on the ground to her left. Sparrows quickly landed on the crumbs devouring them as if they weren't fed on a regular basis. As she finished her stew the girl observed the camp around her. She didn't know much about camps this big but she did know that her Mother and Father were in the largest tent she could see right now and that there were having a meeting with other important people about important things. She knew this because as soon as the got to it her mother had handed her over to her older brother, who was then called away to deal with an errant horse, and had handed her over to Wolset.

She pulled her legs underneath herself and got onto her knees, finally finished with the bowl of food. getting up she dropped the bowl and spoon into the bucket of water by the fire. It was already half full and she stood back as a strong servant picked the bucket up and walked away with it, giving her a wink as he left.

She made her way back to Jump who was already sniffing at the bag Qasim had given her. She plopped down in the dirt next to him and pulled at the tie holding the bag shut but couldn't get her small fingers to work open the knot. She got to her feet and walked over to one of the soldiers sitting on a log by the fire, he was just finishing his lunch and set his plate aside as she approached.

"I can't get the knot." She handed him the bag apologetically. He pretended to have a hard time himself which made her giggle. She draped her arms on his leg as he worked on the knot. When he finally pulled it open she got on her tip toes to peer into the bag he held open in front of him. A large bone with a hunk of meat still on it lay inside. She took the bag from the man, who ruffled her hair. "Thanks Mr. Lerant."

Jump sat enjoying his new treat, keeping his own watch on the girl. She was now sitting with Wolset, watching intently as he fletched arrows, showing her the best way to dry the glue. She wrinkled her nose at the smell but watched intently anyway. She giggled again when the soldier took an especially pretty feather and tucked it into her hair behind her ear. He laughed when she took out the smallest dagger he had laid eyes on and tried to cut her own arrow down to size.

"There you are." The girl looked up and her face burst into a brilliant smile as she was swept into the arms of a young man, just barely out of his teens, wearing the Own's uniform. Once she had given him a big hug she took his face between her hands and brought their foreheads together. He smelled of horses and hay and long journeys. She breathed him in again, Tobe laughed and kissed her on the nose. "Mother is going to be looking for you at any minute."

A soldier in army maroons stood on the other side of the fire and spit into it in disgust. "I'm glad I never join't ta' Own. Looks like they is goin' soft." He commented to the man beside him, also a member of the army. "And to think we had to march well out of our way on the whim of some woman pretending at mens arms." Usually the men ignored comments like this but not with the little Lady around, who knew how far these men would take it.

Tobe squared his shoulders, "You know perfectly well we are here to escort the Crowned Prince and Princess back to the palace after their visit with Sir Nealan and Lady Yuki."

Wolsat stepped around Tobe towards the intruders. "I'll show yah how soft I can be when my fist smashes those teeth from your face."

The men looked at each other smirking. "That's what yah get when your commander is…" The man didn't get to finish what he thought about the commander of the Kings Own before Lerant jumped across the clearing and punched the man squarely in the jaw. The man staggered back into his comrade.

"Now boys, you shouldn't assume you would even qualify for the Own, I mean there is a reason why we have the army and it isn't for their brains. Although we are always looking for good draft horses." A voice drawled from behind the army men.

Dommitan of Masbolle Captain of Third Company, after their Knight Commander, laid a hand on the shoulder of each man. He turned them around and shoved them away, his smile never faltering.

He turned around and came to Tobes side as the rest of the men settled down again, returning to their work. The girl wiggled in Tobes arms and then launched herself at Dom when he was close enough to catch her. "Papa, look what Wollsy gave me." She plucked the feather from her hair and twirled it in front of his face. She was completely unaware of the argument that had just ensued around her.

Dom put the feather back into her hair and smiled at her. He held her up in front of him from under her arms and looked her over. She was dressed in an exact miniature replica of a Kings Own uniform, down to the white Bazhir burnoose and sergeants insignia on one arm. Dom raised an eyebrow at the men around him. "I'm pretty sure when she arrived this morning she was in a blue dress and boots."

"Well she's still got the boots on." One of the men mumbled. A small sack was passed around until it reached Tobe, who opened it up to reveal the garment folded neatly inside.

"It seemed more fitting." Wolset shrugged. Dom smiled and set his daughter down on her feet. She leaned against his legs comfortably and entertained herself as she waited with her father and brother, humming her song again.

Several hours later the girl was nearly asleep on her feet. Having eaten dinner at the camp with her father, she had spent the evening listening and learning from the men whom she had come to think of as her friends. She small girl brought out a different side of the men, one they didn't seem to mind showing.

The girl was nuzzled into the crook of Wolets arm when her mother strode into the camp. She sat up slowly, eyes heavy with sleep moments before were now wide open. Kel took in the sight of her daughter, hands on her hips. She then took in the sight of her Company of Own and the guilty looks on their faces. Tobe at least had the decency too try and hide his grin. Kel looked at her daughter.

"Sergeant, report please." The little girl stood up, put her hands behind her back and looked straight forward.

"All has been good Commander." Her face was still and Kel had to cover her mouth to stop the grin from slipping out.

Kel methodically walked in front of the rows of men. "Unfortunately, young sergeant, all is not good. I have been informed by a rather annoying sergeant from the army that there was a disagreement with some of our men and theirs." She looked around the fire at the large group of men now assembled. She knew they all weren't there but word of what she had to say would spread. "And what, young sergeant, do we do with members of the army and Own who are caught fighting?"

The girl, her hands still behind her back, started following her mothers footsteps, pacing in front of the men. She stopped and looked at the men. "Put 'em in the stocks." She called out matter of factly.

Kel grinned at her men from where she stood over her perfectly serious daughter. "But," She looked at the men around her. "I can't get anyone of repute to agree with these men as to what exactly happened. So there will just be a warning this time." Her hand was now resting on her daughters shoulder.

"I have the same rule now as I did when I was a squire and not your Knight Commander. I will, and am, perfectly capable of fighting my own battles and if we listened to everything they say about me we would be here for ages." She picked the girl up and smiled at her as she lay her head on her mothers shoulder and wrapped her small chubby arms around her neck. "Not that I would mind." Kel commented quietly.

Kel stepped closer to where Wolsets Squad, Dom's old squad, was sitting. "Seriously guys. I need people to respect me and I can't get them to do that if you are always fighting battles in my name every time you take the littlest offense."

Larent swirled one of the newly fletched arrows between his fingers. Over the years their relationship had grown stronger and now as her standard barer he was over protective of her. Kel and Dom had invited him into their small family and instead of going home to his still disgraced family he spent any holidays off with them. "That's fine and all Kel, but we won't be having him say a thing around the little one."

Kel sighed but couldn't bring herself to disagree or argue about that one. "Just help us teach her to be strong, confident, and how to defend herself. That's all I ask. Hopefully by the time she gets old enough she won't have to defend her integrity like I did."

Kel spoke with the men quietly, gently swaying and bouncing the girl in her arms. The girl brought her thumb to her mouth and began humming herself to sleep, occasionally adding words into the song. "Nine feet tall and brave as can be… lance straight between the giants eye… protector of the small…"

When the words finally registered to Kel she glared at the men around her. "I leave her with you for one day!"


End file.
